Whilst a discussion about hi-fi might well interest young Mr Dale and me, it's probably dull as ditchwater to most, so I'll move onto actual model activity.
The rear pony axlebox retainers were respotted on the frames, centre and tapping drilled and tapped 8BA. The first one went swimmingly but despite meticulous measurement the second one caused the axlebox to bind at the top of it's travel, so I replugged it and did it all again. Still no joy and I suspect the various disparate metallics in the area were allowing the drill to wander. In the end I took a file to the retaining bracket, brute strength and ignorance succeding once again.
I then basically assembled the frames, along with the bogie to see how it fitted the body,
The front fixing hole is drilled as close to the bogie pivot as I dared, but when tried is still half a bawhair to far forward. I think the answer is to open out the rear fixing hole a bit, it looks doable. For those not of the vernacular, a bawhair is a Glaswegian unit of measurement that has neither units nor scale and is applicable to any and everything. It is also the most useful get out clause.
I thought I might look at the uncoupled wheels, this is what you get
The axle protudes fairly unprotoypically from the wheel boss, so I bunged them in the lathe,
and this resulted, not perfect I know but somewhat better. Sorry it's out of focus.
Last night after the massive clearing up I couldn't find a couple of pictures. The oracle told me they were behind the dressing table, wondered when I would move them and asked why it had taken me so long. One of them is this prized possession,
The eponymous H.J.Cunningham lived a few doors up the road from my parents, and his youngest grandaughter Susan, took me to primary school when I was six or so. When he died his daughter gave me his signalling certificates and his 1905 SECR rule book. Of such things are memories made. Right I'm off to deafen the spiders, "Train to Skaville" by the Ethiopians will be the starting point. Goodnight all.
Martin